Falling Stars
by Rikku Leonhart
Summary: When Gan Ning finds an injured cat on his way home, he takes it to Zhou Yu to get it some help. Little does he know that some things change... Yaoi. GNxLX Rated for some language, and because it's yaoi. R
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, here's my new fanfiction... not really funny at all. Honestly. If you want to read something funny go read the Truce of the Kingdoms. Anywho... yeah, enough of my strageness... Enjoy! **

Chapter One

The wind blew gently through the kingdom of Wu, blowing up small clouds of dust on the quiet streets. A pirate sat on the branch of a tree, staring at the moon with an irritated look on his face. If there was one thing he hated, it was night time. Night meant silence, and silence was something he just didn't enjoy. Gan Ning of the Bells heaved a great sigh and slid off the branch to the ground, landing with ease. Stretching his arms up over his head, he yawned and headed back to his room in the castle.

He had barely walked three steps, when there was a soft meowing noise. He ignored it and kept walking, but the meow persisted. It sounded incredibly pitiful, and when he turned to look at the source, he saw that it, too, was pitiful. A brown cat with short fur, and strange, eerie, golden eyes lay on the ground, half leaning against the side of a house. There was dried blood on its chest, and the cat itself seemed to be using all its energy to meow at the pirate.

"Stupid thing…" Gan Ning muttered, glaring at it. He started to laugh, but when the cat meowed again, he stopped and looked at it. Its eyes had a somewhat pleading look in them. Sighing, he knelt down and reached a hand towards the cat, receiving a soft lick on the tip of his middle finger. Smirking, he stroked the cat's chin a few times before sliding one hand under it's body.

At this action, he was sure the feline would hiss at him, or try to scratch him, but it didn't. It watched even his slightest movements, as he picked it up carefully. Cradling it gently in his arms, he set off to find the only man in Wu who knew anything about caring for living things. Besides the doctors, that is… But… only Zhou Yu would be able to help at this time of night.

As he walked, the bells on his waist jingled softly, and the cat's ears perked up and it looked around for the source. It attempted to paw at the bells, but Gan Ning batted it's paws away, afraid he'd lose his hold on the injured creature. He turned a corner sharply, and bumped right into somebody, almost dropping the cat. Instead, he fell backwards onto the floor.

"Hey watch where you're going!" he growled as he climbed back to his feet.

"Is that a… feline?" somebody laughed.

"Shut it, Ling Tong!" Gan Ning snapped, lashing one arm out at the other man.

"Ooooh… I didn't know Gan Ning of the Bells was such a softy!" Ling Tong stated in a smug, sing-song voice, as he ducked to avoid the punch.

"Shut it." the pirate growled threateningly, attempting to walk around, but to no avail.

"At least let me pet it." Ling Tong said, rolling his eyes and reaching a hand out to the cat.

"Don't tou--" Gan Ning started to warn, but he was too late. There was a loud hiss and the cat swatted at Ling Tong's extended hand, its sharp claws out and ready to tear the flesh. Ling Tong frowned and pulled his hand back before it was clawed. He peered down at the cat, staring at it for a minute, before his eyes grew wide and he looked up at Gan Ning.

"What happened to it?" Ling Tong asked sharply. "Don't just stand there, you oaf!"

Gan Ning glared coldly at Ling Tong before shoving him out of the way with his shoulder and stomping by. He called back to him as he hurried down the hallway. "It was you that stopped me, asshole!"

Ling Tong watched his friend for a moment before calling after him, "Go see Zhou Yu! He's in his room!"

The pirate thought about thanking the boy, but changed his mind and instead broke into a jog. A few turns later he came to Zhou Yu's room. The door was open by the slightest crack, and light was shining out. Gan Ning slowed down a little, and nudged the door open with his foot, scanning the room quickly.

"Erm… Zhou Yu?" Gan Ning said, clearing his throat slightly.

Zhou Yu, who had been sitting in a chair, reading a book, jumped in surprise, flinging his book away and turning on Gan Ning. His eyes were wide with surprise, and he immediately narrowed them towards the pirate. "Don't do that!"

"I didn't know you got so into your books." Gan Ning stated, walking forward and placing the cat on the wooden table Zhou Yu had been sitting at.

"Gan Ning! What'd you do to it?" Zhou Yu cried out as he saw the bloodied chest.

"Nothing! I found it in the streets!"

The elegant man gave Gan Ning a steady glare before nodding his head slightly, and turning to the disheveled creature. He was silent for a moment as he bowed and looked the cat over. After a minute he straightened up, and turned to Gan Ning, one hand on the table, the other pointing at the cat. "It's not bleeding anymore, and I'm sure I can stitch up the wound. It doesn't look infected or severe."

Gan Ning nodded and watched the man walk slowly and gracefully to the table beside his bed. He pulled the drawer out and rummaged around for a minute before pulling out a needle and spool of thread. He held the needle up to the light of the candle on the table and poked a bit of thread through, pulling on it to even it out some. Turning back around, he headed back to the table with the threaded needle and sat lightly on the chair.

"So, are you going to take care of him, Gan Ning?" Zhou Yu asked, as he poked the needle through the skin on one side of the wound. The cat blinked its golden eyes at the man. Zhou Yu glanced quickly at the eyes, then turned back to his stitching. He shivered slightly… there was something about the golden eyes that scared him.

"'He'?" Gan Ning replied, scanning his eyes over the pitiful animal.

Zhou Yu paused and looked up at him, placing the needle down neatly in front of him.. "Well, yes. It's a he. If you don't want him, then I'll just release him back onto the streets."

The pirate was quiet for a minute, during which the cat twisted his head around and blinked big, golden eyes at him. He reached out a large hand and scratched one finger on the underneath of the cats chin, receiving a purr of appreciation. Sighing, he thought for a minute, while the strategist continued stitching. Finally, he answered quietly, "Yeah… I'll take care of him."

Zhou Yu nodded his head and pulled the needle through again, pulling the thread away and knotting it up tightly. He bit the thread to break it, then picked the cat up carefully and handed him to Gan Ning, who looked uncertain.

"To tell you the truth, I have no fuckin' clue how to take care of a cat."

Zhou Yu sighed, shoving the cat into the pirate's hand, then brushed a stray piece of hair out of his face. "They eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom. Honestly, Gan Ning, it's not that hard. Feed him tomorrow morning at breakfast, but don't give him too much at once. You should probably give him a bath, too… but I wouldn't advise it until the stitches are removed." he paused for a second, then went on, choosing his words slowly, "Come back tomorrow if his condition worsens. If it doesn't, just come see me in a few days."

Gan Ning nodded and carried his cat out the door and down the hallway two doors a bit before crossing to his door. The paint on it was peeling a little, and it was painted an amazingly bright shade of red, with a gold dragon design on the edges of it. Putting the cat on the floor, he gave it a warning glance, thinking it'd try to sneak away, before turning to his door. When he opened the door slightly, he was surprised to see it walk by his legs and into the bedroom. He stared into the darkness of his room for a few seconds before shrugging and walking in after it, closing the door behind him with a click. The cat was jumping onto the messy bed that Gan Ning used as he closed the door. He turned around twice, then laid down and curling into a ball.

"I don't know a whole lot about animals… but something tells me you ain't normal. You're an odd one, aren't ya?" Gan Ning questioned.

The cat only stared at him with unblinking eyes before laying its head down and closing its eyes. The pirate sighed, shrugged, and took off his shoes before climbing under his blankets. He yawned and rolled onto his side, careful not to hit the cat at the end of his bed, and fell into a deep sleep within minutes..  
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**Okay, I'm soooo sorry this chapter's short. The next one's going to be long, honestly! Oh, and I apologize for making Gan Ning so OOC... I'll get him right eventually... I hope. Anyhow, review! Reviews make the world go 'round!**


	2. Chapter 2

**See? I told you I'd get another chapter of this up! Man, you guys reeeally like this story, don't ya? I know it's a day late, but... meh. I didn't have time on Sunday. Sorry > '' Oh, and I _think_ I may've finally gotten Gan Ning's personality down. How utterly amazing. OO**

Anyhow... enough of my ranting. Go on and read this... new installment...? Uh, yeah. Read away!

Chapter Two

Birds chirped loudly outside of Gan Ning's window. A gentle breeze blew through his window, bringing with it the faint smell of cherry blossoms. He groaned and sat up, muttering his annoyance at being up so early and stretching his arms. As he opened his eyes and rubbed them with his left hand, he remembered his cat. Turning to check on him, he expected to see golden unblinking eyes attached to a large ball of fuzz. Except, there was no brown fuzz ball there anymore.

"Holy fuckin' cow!" Gan Ning shouted, shoving the blankets off of him, and falling backwards out of bed. He yelled so loud, in fact, that he woke up nearly everybody in the immediate area of his room… and probably many more people in the castle.

At the end of his bed, curled up and-- unfortunately for Gan Ning-- naked, was a human boy. His skin was a sickly pale color, and his light brown hair had a feathery look to it, catching the light streaming through Gan Ning's window. At the loud yell, the boy stretched his arms out, gripping the blankets with small hands before pulling them back and sitting up, blinking open familiar golden eyes. He turned to Gan Ning, a confused look on his face.

"Who the hell are you!" Gan Ning demanded, climbing clumsily to his feet and grabbing his sword, pointing the end towards the boy.

The boy merely tilted his head to one side, confusion etched on his fine features, his longish light brown hair barely hitting his shoulder. The feeling of hair on his shoulder seemed to surprise him, and he immediately looked down at himself in shock, and fell off the bed, dragging the blankets with him.

He sat up quickly and looked at Gan Ning, wide-eyed, and then tore his eyes away. He looked down at his bare body again, and wrapped the blankets around him quickly. Gan Ning watched this with wide eyes, his sword, though now shaking, still pointed at the boy. The boy looked up at him in deep embarrassment, the darkest blush Gan Ning had ever seen clear upon his pale face.

The boy turned away from Gan Ning's steady gaze, fidgeting with the end of the blanket, then looked back up at him and cleared his throat, opening his mouth. "…oth…s…"

Gan Ning dropped his sword in surprise. He had thought the boy was possibly a mute or something, but apparently he had been wrong. He stared at the boy, his mouth partially open, for a minute, before snapping out of it. "What?"

The boy cleared his throat and tried again, more slowly and louder this time. He struggled to form a word he had heard before in his life. "…Clothes?"

It then dawned on Gan Ning what exactly the boy was looking for. He stared at him for a moment more before turning and walking across the room to his closet. Pulling out the first thing he touched, he tossed it across the room to the mysterious boy. Only after he threw it, did he realize it was a ceremonial robe that was meant for special occasions. Did finding a naked man in your room count as a special occasion?

_Oh, who the hell cares, anyhow?_

The boy caught it and examined it quickly. It was whiter than snow, and also made of an incredibly light material. Gold trimming ran along the ends of the sleeves, and a silver dragon wound its way partially up one side of the bottom part of the robe.

He cleared his throat again, and looked back at the pirate, a blush still clear on his face. He nodded in appreciation, then he dropped the blankets from his shoulders and struggled to pull the robe around his shoulders. Though Gan Ning would never admit it, he stole a glance at the boy, which is how he came to know that the boy was too light for his own good. He stood up quickly and wrapped the robe around his body, tying it tightly in the front. One shoulder of the robe was hanging off, his pale skin visible.

"So… what… I mean…_Who_ are you?" Gan Ning struggled to find the correct words as he spoke. He didn't mean to make it sound like the boy was abnormal or anything… but the truth was, the boy _was_ abnormal. He could barely talk, and he had those creepy eyes…

"…" he thought for a moment, then blushed again. He whispered the next words quietly, as if he was testing them out. Gan Ning didn't get a chance to hear them.

"Say again?"

"Lu… X…un…"

"Lu Xun?"

The boy nodded his head slowly, seeming to be at awe with himself for sounding out the few letters he'd spoken. Gan Ning closed his mouth, opened it, and closed it again, searching for the right words. Finally he shook his head, rubbing a hand on his chin, and eyebrow raised. "What the hell are you doing in my room, kid?"

Lu Xun shrugged, and gave him another confused look. It then hit Gan Ning like a ton of bricks that this boy with the eerie golden eyes, who couldn't speak… shared an unexplainable likeness with the cat he had found on the streets the previous night. He raised a hand and pointed at the boy's chest. Lu Xun looked down at the spot Gan Ning was pointing at, then back at the pirate, a confused look in his eyes.

"You have stitches right there, don't you…?"

Lu Xun shrugged again, placing a hand gently on the spot. He let out a startled gasp, and pulled his hand back, as if he'd been shocked. Peering down the front of his robes, his golden eyes delved onto the pale skin of his chest, and he snapped his eyes back to Gan Ning, nodding his head vigorously. Gan Ning gave him a look of both surprise, and overjoyment at having been right.

"You do! You're the cat!" he exclaimed triumphantly. The shock of this caught up to him quickly, and he backed up a few steps, pointing at the boy with a shaking hand. "Holy fuckin' God… How… but you're a… holy shit!"

Lu Xun watched Gan Ning run a shaky hand through his spiky hair. He looked down shamefully, thinking he'd done something wrong, then looked back at Gan Ning with pleading eyes. His stomach growled loudly, and the noise seemed to scare him. Gan Ning lowered his hand, coming forward slowly, then kneeling down in front of the boy.

"Are you hungry… Lu Xun?" he asked. When he received no response, he tried again. "Do you want something to eat… do you understand me?"

Golden eyes rose, and their owner nodded slowly. Gan Ning nodded back to him unsurely, and stood up slowly, heading for the door. He heard the sound of bare feet on the floor and glanced back to see Lu Xun stumbling, but still walking, on his own two feet. He opened the door and ushered the robed boy out of his room, before grabbing his black vest off the top of the pile of clothes on the floor beside his door, and heading after him, closing the door quickly.

* * *

When they came to the dining hall, only a few other residents of the castle were present. Zhou Yu was once again reading a book, at the head of the table, his seat pulled back, so he wouldn't be in anybody's way. Zhou Tai was at the far side of the hall, eating quietly and ignoring everybody else. Grabbing Lu Xun's wrist lightly, Gan Ning lead him slowly to the end of the table where Zhou Yu was sitting, still buried in his book. He turned the page with a deliberate slowness, as if the book was boring him, and looked up when Gan Ning shoved Lu Xun into the seat next to Zhou Yu. He walked around Zhou Yu's chair and sat down in Sun Ce's usual seat. 

Zhou Yu slowly scanned the golden eyed boy, as he, in return, received a curious look. Then he turned to Gan Ning, closing his book and sliding it on the table. He jerked his thumb at Lu Xun. "You know that nobody besides generals is allowed in the castle, Gan Ning…"

Gan Ning shrugged. "You told me to bring him back if anything got worse. I don't know if this is worse… but it's definitely creepy."

Zhou Yu raised a fine brow, giving Gan Ning a confused look. He glanced quickly at Lu Xun, who had picked up the discarded book and was holding it right side up, scanning the words on the cover. "Hey, put that down!" he snapped, but received absolutely no response as the boy continued to read the cover. He turned on Gan Ning. "Tell him to put it down."

"Lu Xun… Lu Xun!" Gan Ning said, slapping his hand on the edge of the table sharply. The said boy jumped slightly, dropping the book in surprise. He looked at the pirate for a second, before turning a sorrowful look on Zhou Yu and bending down to retrieve the book.

He handed it back to Zhou Yu, and simply said, "The Art of War…"

"Yes, it is… and it's very valuable to me…" Zhou Yu said quickly, snatching the book away from the smaller boy. He glared at him for a minute more before turning to Gan Ning, and asking, "What'd you mean, I said to 'bring him back if anything got worse'? I was talking about the cat… not some stupid kid. Are you drunk again?"

"No! I swear, Zhou Yu, I'm only doing what you said!"

"Well, that's not a cat." Zhou Yu snapped, gathering his book and standing up. He glared once more at the boy who had dropped his precious book, and turned to walk away. Gan Ning jumped up and grabbed his arm, pulling on it roughly, so Zhou Yu was forced to stop. "Let go of me."

"I need to tell you something." Gan Ning stated, ignoring Zhou Yu's warning. He dragged Zhou Yu away from the table where Lu Xun sat, now examining a fork while kicking his feet back and forth. "It's really important. And I mean really fuckin' important."

Zhou Yu sighed, crossing his arms, and putting all his weight on one leg. "I'm waiting. I don't have all day, you know."

_Someone's a little grumpy today, yeesh…_"That boy right there… the one that dropped your book? He's the cat from last night!"

"You're drunk again. I'm telling Lu Meng about--"

"Will you fuckin' listen! I woke up this morning, and the cat was gone! It was just this kid, and he was sleeping on the end of my bed… hell, he was naked, too! That's _my_ ceremonial robe he's wearing! But never mind that, he has stitches, Zhou Yu. Stitches, right where you stitched up my cat last night!" Gan Ning spit this out in one breath. When he stopped, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, as if he had just run a marathon.

Zhou Yu stared at him, disbelief written all over his face. "I would never believe a word you just said. Not even if _I_ was drunk. You want me to believe that that kid over there… is your cat?"

Gan Ning nodded quickly. Zhou Yu snorted and turned to walk away. Only, instead of walking, he slammed into the boy in question, knocking both of them over. He slammed his palms onto the ground, jarring his wrists, and stopping himself from falling any further. Lu Xun, however, had no such luck, as he had fallen over backwards. He closed his eyes to the impact, and shoved his hands up to stop Zhou Yu from falling on him, both palms on the taller man's chest. The robe he wore had fallen open, and Zhou Yu looked straight down at a pale chest… with thread laced through it.

"By the Gods…" he gasped, shoving himself away from the small boy, and climbing unsteadily to his feet. He backed up a few steps, his eyes watching closely as Lu Xun struggled to stand up. Once that task was complete, he pulled the robe shut again. "It _is _the cat…"

Lu Xun once again came across the feeling of shame, and guilt, as if he'd done something wrong again. He bowed his head, closing his eyes, like he was expecting some kind of punishment. Instead, Zhou Yu came forward again, shoving the small boy back lightly, then shoving him down into the chair he'd been on.

Turning back to Gan Ning, he sighed, shaking his head. "I just don't see how this could have happened… Explain to me what happened last night. Tell me everything. I don't care if it seems irrelevant, I still need to hear it all."

"Well… after I left your room, I headed straight for mine and went to sleep… Not much else to it." Gan Ning stated simply, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's it? Nothing unusual?"

"Nope."

"What about this morning?"

"This morning… that's a whole 'nother story. I woke up, and there he was, naked as hell at the end of my bed. To put it simply, I flipped, he woke up, he flipped, then he fell out of bed. Dragged all of my fuckin' blankets with him, too… Then we went through all this shit where he just kinda stared at me funny, then he said 'clothes'…"

"So he can talk?"

"I don't think so. When he said clothes the first time, it came out really bad. The second time he said it, it was more like 'croth' rather than clothes. The only other thing I've heard him say is Lu Xun, and even that came out weird."

"How so?"

"He sounded out each letter, as if he's never used them before."

Zhou Yu leaned back against the wall, his head bowed, eyes deep in thought. This was a mystery to challenge any strategist, and it was doing so to Wu's. After a moment of silence, he shook his head and looked back at Gan Ning. "What else happened?"

"I asked him if he had stitches… then brought him here." Gan Ning replied simply, looking over to check on Lu Xun.

The small boy was once again swinging his feet back and forth, but he had Zhou Yu's book again, the strategist having placed it on the table again. It was opened and his eyes were scanning the pages in concentration. Gan Ning was mildly shocked when he turned the page and scanned another page. Sighing, he reached over to pull it away from the boy.

"Lu Xun, that's not yours… give it here."

Zhou Yu turned to look, his dark brows rising when he saw the boy reading his book. "Is he… Reading that?"

"Nah… I think he was just flipping through the pages." Gan Ning said, tugging gently on the book again.

Lu Xun released the book reluctantly, then looked at Zhou Yu pleadingly. Hopefully, he said slowly, sounding out the word, "Read…"

"You want to read this book?" Zhou Yu questioned, taking the book from Gan Ning, and showing it to the boy. He received a nod in reply, and sighed slowly. "Do you understand the meaning of read? Show me what 'read' means." With this, he placed the book down on the table.

Lu Xun repeated the word again, pulling the book over to him and flipping it open to the page he had been on, and scanned the page again. Zhou Yu watched in fascination, Gan Ning in total shock. The strategist walked around the table to stand behind Lu Xun, pointing to the first line in the book. "Will you read that out loud for me?"

Slowly, his eyes full of concentration, the boy read the short line slowly, sounding out every letter in each word, somewhat distorting it. He finished it and looked up at Zhou Yu, smiling happily. Both Gan Ning and Zhou Yu stood speechless.

Finally, the strategist let a small smile grow on his face. "I think we've got a genius on our hands. Though… how he's human is still behind me." he said slowly, then turned to Gan Ning, one eyebrow raised. "Are you still going to take care of him?"

"But… he's not a cat anymore… I ain't taking care of a kid!" he complained. "I don't know how!"

"For the love of the Gods, Gan Ning, he's the same as you! It's just like taking care of another you… Without the wine. Don't give him wine. I'll take him to the library now… see if I can teach him to talk at all. I'll make sure he's back with you by the end of the day."

Zhou Yu beckoned to Lu Xun, who gave Gan Ning an unsure look before standing up and following the strategist. He looked back at Gan Ning before the left the dining hall, and the pirate merely waved him on. He sighed and sat down, dropping his forehead to the table. Of all the things to happen… he found a cat that turned into a human…

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**Well, there ya go! Was it any good at all? Reviews are wonderful, and cookies to all who do!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Whoo! Go me! I finally updated!**

** Yea, this chapter's a bit longer than the other two, so I hope everyone likes it! Enjoy!  
**

Chapter Three

"Hey, Gan Ning. Where's your little friend, huh?" came a smug voice. Gan Ning lifted his forehead from the table and glared at the owner of the voice. It was a boy shorter than Gan Ning, but nearly as skilled, with jet black hair and a look on his face that clearly stated that he thought he was better than anyone else.

"Shut it, Ling Tong. I don't need your bullshit today." Gan Ning snapped, dropping his head to the table again.

Ling Tong slid into the chair next to the pirate, sliding a plate of cinnamon bread from the kitchens onto the table. He raised an eyebrow at his friend. "What's got your panties in a bunch?"

"Oh nothing, nothing. Just the fact that I get to do a whole bunch of nothing all day. Are you gonna eat that?" Gan Ning replied, lifting his head and leaning on his fist, his elbow firmly planted on the table.

"Help yourself." Ling Tong replied. "Well, nobody said you had to do nothing all day. Me and Zhou Tai are going fishing. You could always come with us, you know."

Gan Ning dragged the plate of bread to himself, picking a slice up and taking a bite. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment, then swallowed and looked at Ling Tong strangely. "Did you say you and Zhou Tai? I thought Zhou Tai had to look after Sun Quan."

"Wow, you're not too bright. They've been telling everybody all week, you moron. Sun Quan's sick, which means Zhou Tai has nothing to do." Ling Tong snatched a piece of bread from the plate for himself, then said, "So, anyhow, where's your cat?"

"Zhou Yu's got him. And he's not mine."

"Whatever."

Gan Ning rolled his eyes and continued to eat the piece of bread he'd taken. They ate in silence for awhile, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Gan Ning reached for another piece of bread as Zhou Tai sat down next to Ling Tong, silent as usual. The pirate gave the other man a curious look for a minute before shoving the plate towards him. Zhou Tai, however, refused and pushed the plate back. Gan Ning shrugged.

"Alright, ready, Zhou Tai?" Ling Tong asked as he finished his bread, standing up and stretching. Zhou Tai nodded and stood, too, turning and heading out of the dining hall. Ling Tong hung back for a second, asking Gan Ning, "C'mon, Gan Ning. There's no law that states you can't go fishing."

Sighing, Gan Ning stood, rolling his eyes. "Alright, alright. Bet I'll catch more fish than you."

"How much?"

"Hmm… 100 gold."

"You're on." Ling Tong smirked as he stated this and ran off after Zhou Tai, who had already left.

Gan Ning followed him at a more leisurely pace, determined to make this a drag along affair. He had to wait the whole day to find out what was going to happen with Lu Xun, and it made him both nervous and a little worried. What would happen to the strange boy if he couldn't comprehend their language? Would Zhou Yu have him killed, or just send him away from the castle? By the time Gan Ning had finished going through all of his thoughts, they had arrived at the river, and Ling Tong was handing him a pole. He sat down on a rock and threw the line out, sinking back into silence.

"Is something the matter?" came a strong, quiet voice.

Gan Ning jumped and almost dropped his pole, turning quickly to see Zhou Tai settle on the rock next to him. "Fuck, Zhou Tai, don't do that!"

Zhou Tai ignored Gan Ning, and asked again, "Is something the matter?"

"Nah… I'm not feeling well, is all." he replied uncertainly.

Zhou Tai nodded and threw his own line out. Ling Tong settled on the other side of Gan Ning, and the three of them sat in silence for awhile. It was a cloudy day, though it had begun quite nicely. The sky was overcast, and there was a warm wind that blew around the men, whipping the grass around them, and blowing through the leaves in the trees.

"Hope it doesn't rain…" Gan Ning muttered.

Zhou Tai grunted in reply, and Ling Tong nodded. Silence was not usually something that enveloped anybody when Ling Tong and Gan Ning were together, but the pirate didn't feel up to fooling around, and the other man knew it. Little waves rippled upon the surface of the river, throwing the fishing lines around under the surface. After awhile, the wind picked up, blowing harder than before.

Nearly an hour after the wind picked up, big drops of rain began falling. The three men looked up, frowning, and pulled in their lines. They'd been sitting outside by the river fishing for a chunk of the day, and they hadn't caught anything. Not a single fish. As they trekked back to the castle, Ling Tong tripped and fell face first in the mud. Zhou Tai smirked, and Gan Ning burst out laughing.

"Haha, very funny." Ling Tong snarled, climbing to his feet. "Oh, gross…"

The whole front of his clothes were covered in mud, much to his dismay. This only caused Gan Ning to laugh harder and louder. Angered by being laughed at, Ling Tong launched himself onto Gan Ning, knocking the pirate into the mud, too. He swung his fist at Gan Ning, but the pirate caught it, his face once again serious. He attempted to hit with his other hand, but Gan Ning grabbed that one, too.

"Chill, Ling Tong." he stated calmly, rolling over and forcing Ling Tong to roll onto his back, while Gan Ning stood up slowly, releasing his fists. "It was funny, that's all. Calm down…"

Zhou Tai continued to walk towards the castle, shaking his head slowly. Sometimes, the two of them got incredibly annoying, other times they were all buddy-buddy, and yet, other time, they fought. He didn't really understand them. He never had. He heard the wet footsteps of Gan Ning and Ling Tong following behind him. They remained silent as they approached the doors of the castle.

Nearing the castle, Zhou Tai noticed something out the corner of his eye and came to a sudden stop, causing Gan Ning to walk into him, and Ling Tong to walk into Gan Ning. Zhou Yu stood in the rain, his body turned towards Lu Xun, who had a confused look on his face as he listened intently to what Zhou Yu was saying. The small boy's eyes wandered off and landed on Gan Ning, who was standing up after falling over backwards.

"Hey!" came a loud yelp, as Lu Xun sprinted through the rain towards Gan Ning, diving onto him, and wrapping his small arms around the pirate.

Zhou Yu followed at a more leisurely pace, avoiding the many deep puddles Lu Xun had run through. He watched in amusement as Gan Ning gave a disgusted look, and Ling Tong started giggling. Sighing, he stepped forward and tugged lightly on the back of Lu Xun's robe. The small boy let go and turned around.

"Yes?" he asked.

Zhou Yu just shrugged and turned his attention to Gan Ning, as Lu Xun knelt in the mud to examine the wet grass. "He's learning fast."

Gan Ning eyed the boy cautiously, hoping he wouldn't hug him again. "I can tell… But… he shouldn't be out here… should he? I thought ca-- er, he didn't like water."

Zhou Tai caught the slight slip, but chose to remain silent. Ling Tong was too caught up in his own laughter to even notice that either man had spoken. A gust of wind blew by, blowing wind into everyone's faces. Lu Xun sat down cross-legged in the mud and looked around alertly. Zhou Yu glanced at him, an eyebrow raised.

"He's different. Obviously he doesn't mind the water…" he paused, watching as Lu Xun's eyes narrowed, and his gaze froze. "Hey, kid, something wrong?"

The golden eyed boy stopped looking around and jerked his head up to look at Zhou Yu. He nodded his head slowly, then stopped to think for a few seconds. Finally, he opened his mouth and said, slowly, "Over there…"

He raised a small hand and pointed towards the woods. They turned to look, including Ling Tong, who's laughter had died down when the wind blew rain at him, reminding him that he was outside still. There was nothing. The strategist turned his attention back to the small boy, curiosity written all over his face.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash, and an ear shattering boom. Zhou Tai turned and started walking idly towards the castle. He was soon followed by Ling Tong, who stumbled through puddles and got himself even more wet. The pirate remained behind with Zhou Yu, both of them still eyeing Lu Xun. Gan Ning turned to leave after a minute, his arms crossed comfortably across his chest. Seeing him leave, the golden eyed boy jumped up and followed. Zhou Yu rolled his eyes and took off slowly after them.

When they had gotten inside, Lu Xun shook himself, flinging water all over, and receiving strange looks. Zhou Tai and Ling Tong had already taken off for the dining hall, leaving Zhou Yu and Gan Ning with Lu Xun. After brushing a hand down his blood red clothes, he started off down the hallway.

"Where're ya goin'?"

Zhou Yu paused to look back, an eyebrow raised. "To change, obviously. It's nearly dinner time, and I will _not _show up soaking wet." He walked a few more steps before pausing again, this time turning all the way around, a somewhat bored look etched upon his face. "I advise you to bring him to the bathes. Unless, of course, you want him to get sick from sitting in the cold rain."

Gan Ning, who had taken a few steps past the small brunette boy stopped, an eyebrow raised, and turned to look at Lu Xun. The small boy, though, was going onto his tiptoes, then dropping back down to his feet, hands folded behind him and a curious look on his face. Sighing, the pirate turned to talk to the strategist, but Zhou Yu had already slipped around the corner. Sighing, he turned to the boy at hand.

"Follow me."

Back outside, a dark shadow moved swiftly through the blackened forest. It paused before another and the murmur of talking was heard. Lightning flashed, and as it faded, so did the shadows…

...  
...  
**So, did you like it? Let me know, and sorry, once again, for taking so long to update!**


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